Country's top recruits set to face off in Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions

Nine ESPN Top 100 boys basketball recruits expected to play Jan. 16-19

Jan 3, 2025; Gilbert, AZ, USA; Link Academy forward Chris Cenac (0) drives against Wasatch Academy during the Hoophall West High School Invitational at Highland High School. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

One of the most anticipated high school basketball tournaments in the Midwest begins today as the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions is set to tip inside John Q. Hammons Arena in Springfield, Mo.

Action starts at 4:30 p.m. C.T. with Central taking on Bullis, followed by Link Academy vs. Millennium at 6; Christ the King vs. Milton, 7:30; and Oak Ridge vs. Parkview at 9.

The tournament features eight teams from six states, nine ESPN Top 100 recruits and a collection of college prospects you won’t often find together under one roof.

The tournament features three local schools in Springfield’s own Central and Parkview, who will be joined by Branson’s Link Academy – one of the top programs in the nation.

The field is rounded out by Milton (Milton, Ga.), Bullis (Potomac, Md.), Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.), Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) and Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)

While the tournament runs deep on talent again this season – Link Academy and Oak Ridge are both Nike Elite schools – no team will roll out a lineup quite as heavy as Link Academy's.

The Lions (11-4) practically roll out a college lineup any given night. They have five players ranked in the ESPN Top 100 for 2025 recruits. That group includes the nation’s No. 5 overall player in 5-star Chris Cenac, Jr., a 6-foot-10, 230-pound senior who announced his commitment to Houston on Nov. 26, 2024.

Cenac is joined by four-star players Davion Hannah (6-4, 180), Jerry Easter (6-3, 195), John Clark (6-10, 235) and Legend Smiley (6-4, 185) in the Lions’ lineup. A shooting guard, Hannah is ranked No. 22 overall and is headed to Alabama next season. Easter, a point guard, is ranked No. 37 and committed to USC.

A center, Clark is ranked No. 53 overall and headed to Texas. Smiley, a shooting guard, is ranked No. 87 overall and remains uncommitted despite offers from Washington, Utah State and UNLV, among others.

The Lions did lose a bit of depth on Jan. 6, when another 2027 four-star, Malachi Jordan, announced on X, formerly Twitter, that he had transferred from Link Academy to Tennessee to be homeschooled.

Oak Ridge, meanwhile, rolls out a pair of ESPN 2025 Top 100 prospects in No. 35 Jamier Jones (6-6, 220) and No. 63 Jalen Reece (5-11, 170). Jones is headed to Providence next season while Reece signed with LSU.

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Bloodlines are also prevalent in the tournament, as Millennium sports uncommitted No. 25 junior guard Cameron Holmes (6-5, 194) and forward Kingston Tosi (6-7, 195) – a Utah State signee.

Holmes is the younger brother of Denver Nuggets first-round rookie DaRon Holmes II, while Tosi is the son of former Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Mao Tosi who, in high school, was the first Samoan to be named Alaska’s high school basketball player of the year.    

Bullis also has a stacked lineup which features the No. 24 player in the 2025 class in 7-foot center Eric Reibe, who has signed with UCONN.

As usual, the talent in the tournament lies much deeper than the nine Top 100 players in attendance. Always a hit with college coaches and scouts, fans can often be treated to a few celebrity names scattered amongst the crowd each season.

This season will be no different – although one celebrity in attendance might not be conventional.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson is expected to be on hand as a celebrity judge for the tournament’s slam dunk contest, which takes place at 6 p.m. Saturday with a 3-point contest to follow.

Friday’s action starts at 4:30 p.m. with consolation semifinals. The final day of action begins with a seventh-place game at 2:30 on Saturday with the championship slated for 9.